SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Brandon Aiyuk’s long contract dispute with San Francisco came to an end Thursday when the star receiver agreed on a four-year, $120 million extension to stay with the 49ers.
Two people familiar with the deal say the sides came to the agreement Thursday after Aiyuk missed his second straight practice despite being cleared by team doctors to participate. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.
Aiyuk will get $76 million in guarantees, according to one of the people.
NFL Network first reported the agreement.
Aiyuk had refused to practice all offseason as part of a contract “hold in” with the team, saying he had a back injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch said he was cleared by doctors before Wednesday’s practice but Aiyuk still didn’t join, risking possible fines.
Aiyuk had requested a trade earlier in the summer but no team that Aiyuk wanted to go to was willing to give the Niners what they wanted and pay Aiyuk the salary he sought.
But that was all settled when Aiyuk and the 49ers came to an agreement 11 days before the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the visiting New York Jets.
That leaves San Francisco with one remaining prominent holdout. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is still staying away from the team as he seeks a new deal.
Aiyuk had been set to play on the fifth-year option worth about $14.1 million this season but now becomes the latest NFL receiver to cash in with a long-term deal.
Eleven receivers before Aiyuk had signed contracts worth at least $70 million this offseason, with Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension with Minnesota setting the top of the market. Aiyuk is the sixth receiver with an average annual contract of at least $30 million.
Aiyuk was a key part of San Francisco’s offense last season as he formed a great connection with quarterback Brock Purdy. Aiyuk had 75 catches and a career-high 1,375 yards, along with seven touchdowns, as he earned second-team All-Pro honors.
He put up those numbers in an offense that passed at the second-lowest rate in the NFL last season and had several other star playmakers such as wide receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle, and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.
Aiyuk’s 12.8 average yards receiving per target marked the highest for any player with at least 75 targets in a season since Jordy Nelson averaged 13.2 for Green Bay in 2011.
Purdy’s 120.5 passer rating when targeting Aiyuk ranks the best of any quarterback-pass catcher combination with at least 125 attempts over the past two seasons, according to Sportradar.
Aiyuk has 269 catches for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns in four seasons since being drafted 25th overall in 2020 but has taken off since Purdy became quarterback, with eight of the 11 100-yard receiving games in his career coming with Purdy as starter.
The Niners have done a good job rewarding their homegrown stars, handing out megadeals to Kittle, Fred Warner, Samuel, Nick Bosa, and now Aiyuk since 2020.
But the past two proved particularly tough, with Bosa not signing his deal until a few days before the opener last season.
The 36-year-old Williams is owed $20.05 million this season under the six-year, $138.1 million deal he signed in 2021.
Williams’ average annual value of just more than $23 million has been surpassed by five offensive linemen since he became the richest player at the position when he signed the deal. Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell, and Christian Darrisaw all got deals this offseason worth at least $26 million a year.
“Everyone knows Trent is a captain, a Hall of Famer, the big dog of the team,” cornerback Charvarius Ward said. “Damn near everybody is scared of him. We miss him a little bit, but like I said, somebody has to step up to be a captain to replace what’s missing.”
NOTES: Safety Talanoa Hufanga took part in individual drills as he works his way back from an ACL injury last November. He is expected to be back playing some time in September. ... The 49ers made two additions to their practice squad, signing wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. after the 2021 second-round pick was cut by Carolina and bringing back running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who was cut by San Francisco on Tuesday. The Niners needed extra bodies at running back with McCaffrey (calf) and Isaac Guerendo (groin) dealing with injuries. ... Among the other 49ers players not participating in the open portion of practice were defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (oblique), linebacker Dee Winters, and guard Aaron Banks (pinky).
By Josh Dubow
